How to Educate a Wife (1924)
Business failure Ernest Todd is advised by his friend, Billy Breese, to enlist his wife's charms as a means of winning customers.
Business failure Ernest Todd is advised by his friend, Billy Breese, to enlist his wife's charms as a means of winning customers.
Marie PrevostMabel Todd
Monte BlueErnest Todd
Claude GillingwaterHenry Bancks
Betty FranciscoBetty Breese
Vera LewisMrs. Bancks
Creighton HaleBilly Breese
Nellie Bly BakerKatinka
Edward EarleRobert BensonThe story centers on Flapjack Ike (played by John Bunny), a dominant local figure or "autocrat" in the titular town. Ike faces off against Edith, the Widow (played by Flora Finch), who challenges his authority.
Small brothers are the bane of love affairs. The inimitable Cutey, reporter on a country paper, is courting Ethel Clark, the editor's daughter, and having a lively time with her small brother Tommy. The editor declares that unless Cutey brings in some live news he will be fired--and forbidden to call on Ethel anymore. So Cutey takes matters into his own hands and creates a sensation!
Housemaid Belinda finds a pin on the doorstep, taking it as a sign of good luck, just before a young man arrives looking for a room. The landlady, Ophelia, falls for the boarder at first sight. A policeman finds a fortune-teller's card, which Belinda takes to Ophelia. The two women visit Madam Miriam, who tells Ophelia a young blond man will fall in love with her. Both Ophelia and Belinda assume this refers to their new boarder, Sidney. Sidney, short on cash, tries to stay in Ophelia's good graces by taking her out for ice cream. While they are out, Belinda searches his room and finds a photograph of Sidney's wife, who is none other than the fortune-teller, Madam Miriam. Belinda is shocked by the discovery, revealing that the "omens and oracles" that fueled Ophelia's romantic hopes were part of a deception orchestrated by the boarder and his wife.
Amy Lindel, a church choir singer, goes to the city to pursue a singing career, but finds herself only able to get cabaret gigs. She then becomes entangled in a situation involving stolen diamonds, and is saved by the "good guy" whom she later marries.
Charles, Joseph and Sir Benjamin are in love with Maria and Lady Sneerwell is in love with Charles.
Alice takes her little siblings Billy and Kitty to a matinee. They immediately become imbued with the wonderful idea that they are actors. They set up a miniature stage of their own in the summer house on the grounds. They spy upon their sister and her sweetheart Bob, and reproduce their affairs. A quarrel furnishes material for an interesting production, which is a revelation and a lesson to Bob. He goes and makes amends, acting upon the suggestions of the performance.
Sad sack gob Billy finds himself challenged to two duels at the same time in the French countryside over two different women. Hilarity ensues when he tries desperately to avoid either!
Bingville is holding a beauty contest and the three finalists are Mary, Dora, and the Village Vamp. Dora's beau Eddie asks Walter, the contest judge, who will win, and is told that Dora will. Walter goes to the barber shop where the Village Vamp is the manicurist and her father is the barber, and advises them she will win. When they all arrive at the contest, Walter announces Mary as the winner. The mêlée that follows destroys the roadster that was the winner's prize.
Bobby, the doughboy, has left his sweetheart behind in Paris. He returns for her and has the greatest difficulty locating her. In his hunt he runs into the tough White Rat Cafe, where the Darling of Paris becomes enamored of him, thereby arousing the jealousy of her lover, who threatens Bobby with dire consequences. Bobby escapes, runs into his sweetheart, and in the chase, the villain at his heels is captured by the police as a badly wanted criminal.
Major Starr is an ambitious newspaper reporter who has taken undercover employment as chauffeur to Lady Susan Loman in the hope of witnessing high-society goings-on which he can use in a feature article he is planning.
Alice receives an invitation from her grandfather, who is the minister of a small country church, to pay him a visit, which invitation she accepts. Mandy is loved by Jed, but her affections are with the deacon.
Hazel and Jack are about to be married. At his death, Hazel's uncle, Howard Wild, has bequeathed to them as a wedding present a deed to the old Wild mansion.
Silent comedy short starring Chester Conklin and directed by Harry Edwards
Hector, who was reared by a maiden aunt, decides to leave his sheltered life and become a reporter. At the newspaper where he has works, Hector becomes friendly with a young female reporter, who uses the byline "Firefly" for a series of articles intended to expose a notorious café. At the same time, Hector's aunt, head of the local Purity League, gives a stirring speech to the membership about ridding their community of the café. The young woman enlists Hector's aid and together they gain enough evidence to close the café.
Young and wealthy Molly Allison can't be "presented" into society until her older sister Julia is married, but that doesn't stop Molly from pursuing her usual wild ways. She finds herself in turn pursued by Count Renaud, unaware that he is a criminal interested in swindling her out of her money. To discourage the Renaud's attentions--and because she already has a boyfriend, Billy Wilcox--she tells Renaud that she is actually an Indian squaw who is just living in the Allison household. That doesn't stop the Count, however, and he turns his attentions to Molly's sister Julia.
Abby Hopkins, the eldest of a small-town newspaper-owner's five daughters, is urged by her family to marry the wealthy, twice-widowed J.B. Hanks. Abby leaves Hank on the night of the wedding and goes to New York, where she supports herself as a waitress and shares an apartment with a co-worker. At the restaurant, Abby meets J. Booth Hunter, a heavy-drinking "ham" actor, and tries to convince him to give up liquor. Hanks shows up one day and during a battle with his estranged wife, Hunter comes to Abby's rescue. Abby finally gets a divorce from Hanks, Hunter conquers his drinking habit, and Abby marries him.
When our picture opens, Joe Flynn, a rider in the service of the government, has been shot from ambush by a masked man and is dying. Grouped at his bedside are his son Jack, a sturdy young man, the local doctor and the county sheriff. The old man dies and a week later we see Jack delivering the mail. The sheriff has inserted the description of the murderer in the Yuma Gulch Herald, and the country is being scoured to find him. Jack has a long and perilous ride between the two points of his route and is frequently beset with danger. Steve Benson, a desperado, who has killed old man Flynn, is living unhappily with his wife in hourly fear of having his crime discovered.
John Burton met Bessie Fields on her way home one day, and was for making love to her right then and there, but for the interruption of Crazy Joe, a half-witted boy, who always seemed to get in wrong. Burton was incensed, and, although Bessie protested, applied his whip to the demented boy, when Steve Ross, Bessie's sweetheart, happened along and rushed to the boy's rescue. Steve saw that Burton's attentions were not welcomed and ordered him off the scene. Next day, both went to Mr. Fields, and proposed for Bessie's hand. When Burton learned that Steve had been accepted, he rushed from the house, fired back upon it, and fled. Of two shots spent, one hit and killed Mr. Fields.

A hard-core socialite turns over a new leaf after spending time with a less fortunate family.